By elystandard.co.uk

A care home has brought a resident to tears of joy with a heartfelt celebration of his Zimbabwean heritage.

Hilton Park in Cambridge surprised Archbold Katedza with a day dedicated to his culture, filled with music, decorations, and traditional dress.

Jenny Szabo, activities coordinator, said: “Seeing Archbold’s smile made every bit of effort worthwhile.

“Moments like this remind us why we love what we do — bringing joy, connection and a little piece of home.

“Seeing how happy he was made me very emotional and incredibly proud.”

To create the experience, Ms Szabo contacted Archbold’s son to learn more about his background.

She decorated his room with Zimbabwean flags and set up a projector to play his favourite songs and dances from Zimbabwe.

As the music played, Archbold became visibly emotional, touched by the tribute to his roots.

A colleague had also brought back traditional dresses from their holiday, which Ms Szabo and Monika wore during the celebration.

Louis Lunga from the housekeeping team, who speaks the same dialect as Archbold, joined him for a conversation in their shared language.

Staff then surprised Archbold by joining in with traditional dancing, prompting laughter and happy tears.

Geanina Tinca, manager at Hilton Park, said: “It was truly touching to see Archbold so happy and emotional.

“His smile and laughter showed us just how much these moments of connection mean.

“Celebrating someone’s culture, memories and identity is such an important part of caring for the whole person.

“We were all very proud to be part of such a beautiful moment.”